Off Duty FAs Say the Darndest Things.
 

Not a complaint, just telling a story some might find of interest...

Yesterday, an angel of an agent in DTW collapsed two tickets - the last leg of an international flight and a separate second flight from the final destination of flight one to the final destination of flight two - allowing me to fly directly home, saving three or four hours. While I was confirmed on a later flight, there was an earlier flight for which I was put on SB. I got on the earlier flight, but was way towards the back. I was just happy to get on the flight.

DTW-ATL attracts may Pilots/Execs/FAs trying to position themselves, and this flight was no exception. There were two FAs in uniform sitting in the back of the plane. The male FA carried on a very loud conversation throughout the entire flight, mostly complaining about DL. We could not help but hear every word. He complained about not getting proper credit for hours and having to call DL. He complained that too many FAs don't have a plan before getting on a flight and assign duties once boarded. He bragged about being so good at his job that he even wrote a manual which, for some reason, DL would not adopt. Then, as we were waiting to exit the plane, when there was now a mechanic in the back with the two flight attendants....

He told a story, again, at the top of his lungs, about the time there was a warning light on, the mechanics got on the flight, jiggled a few wires so the light would go off, and they were able to take off to Nagoya. According to him, the plane was still broken, and it flew four more flights. All the mechanics did, according to him, was turn the warning light off.

A passenger (might have been a DL employee?) marched to the back and said to the guy, again, loud enough for all of us to hear, something along the lines of, "Do you realize you are in uniform telling a story loud enough for everyone to hear about how Delta flies broken planes? Do you really need to have someone tell you why you do not do this? Are you a mechanic? Are you licensed or authorized to fix planes? Passengers will not know that you don't know what you are talking about. They will see a Delta employee saying Delta knowingly flies broken planes and be concerned." The FA apologized. A few people thanked the passenger and encouraged him to report the FA to a redcoat. He was waiting at the gate counter when I left, so I assume he did.

It drives me crazy when fellow employees do that. I can't tell if that is better or worse than the new hires bragging about how they get D1 for free at the top of their lungs.

I tell people I sell insurance when I'm on a flight and someone else asks...no follow up questions.

Good one! I might copy you :) I hate talking to other passengers on planes unless it's my family.

+1 A great way to get a row-mate to quickly put on the NC headphones and stare straight ahead for the remainder of the flight. ;)

Hope that passenger was a DL employee, or at least a stockholder. He/she would have been a meddler, otherwise.

"What happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam."

A meddler? Really? No.

I hope that passenger was just a normal person, telling an off duty employee to stop being a jackass. That FA should be fired.

OMG, this is practically the same thing I tell people. My version is, "I'm with an insurance company." Alas, it's true. But I've learned it's the easiest way to get people to stop trying to strike up a conversation.

^^^

http://www.scifimoviezone.com/imaget...monkeys011.jpg

David

So businessmen with cellphones in the lounge aren't the only blowhards out there?

My bigger fear as an employee is that I'll get yelled at for the time DL lost their bag in 1998 (I was in elementary school).

Off-duty FA chatter, big deal! I have you beat!

I was on NRT-bound flight and a passenger was struggling with getting the luggage into the overhead bin. It was not because it was heavy but because the bin is too high. She was eyeing the FA for help but the FA literally said this "I am too old for this crap...you are gonna get it in there yourself...and maybe next time stop carrying such heavy things".

DL like UA and AA, full of entitled retirement age FAs but this one even rub me the wrong way... You are an on-duty FA! If you didn't want to help, just hide, don't make these offensive comments.

I ended up helping that passenger get the luggage into the bin...

The FA shouldn't have said that, but it's not a matter of being too old to help get bags into the bins. DL FAs have been told not to handle bags because of the risk of injury. In fact, IIRC if they do injure themselves helping a passenger with a carry on bag (there might be an exception for handicapped passengers, but that should probably be handled by the wheel chair pushers), they're not covered by workers' comp because of the policy.

Oh, negative memories. I was once a bystander to a 45 minute insurance sales pitch across the aisle at 35,000 feet. If you really sold insurance everyone within five rows would know. Lesson learned is never initiate that line of questioning.

When I worked for AA, I told people I was a consultant. It was so much easier...